Читать книгу The Concise Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics - Carol A. Chapelle - Страница 165

Applied linguistics is traditionally concerned with learning and teaching a second language. Thus, when we discuss writing assessment in applied linguistics, we usually refer to assessing writing in second or foreign‐language contexts rather than assessing first language writing. Assessing second language writing is often a matter of evaluating second language proficiency through the means of writing, as opposed to the degree to which first language speakers have mastered writing conventions. However, the two are not always distinguishable; many L1 writing concerns are also issues for L2 writing, particularly in academic settings. The degree to which first and second language writing assessments are distinct is related to several considerations, including age, context of learning, and proficiency level, described below.

 Age: Because younger learners tend to be learning to write in their first language, they are developing literacy skills in both their first and second language. In contrast, older learners, depending on their background and history, may or may not have literacy skills in their first language. If they do, they can transfer many of the strategies from their first language onto their second; if they do not, then “writing” may simply refer to basic literacy skills.

 Context (i.e., second vs. foreign language): Students learning to write in a second language context generally need to write for school or work. These students have an immediate need to master the genres and conventions of writing for specific purposes in that language. In a foreign language context, writing may be used to reinforce and practice the language structures (grammar and vocabulary) learned in class rather than as authentic communication. In some situations, foreign‐language learners may never actually need to write in their second language outside the classroom even though they may find opportunities to do so through the use of the Internet.

 Proficiency level: At the earliest stages of language learning, writing is limited to the specific vocabulary and grammar that have been learned; again, writing at this stage may be more appropriately used for reinforcing and practicing language structures. As students gain proficiency in the language, the focus in writing can be more on content development and organization and less on the specifically linguistic aspects of writing.

These factors, among others, will determine whether language (i.e., displaying language ability by means of writing) or writing (i.e., communicating in writing by means of a second language), or some combination of the two, will be the main focus of assessment (see also Weigle, 2013; for a relevant discussion of similar considerations from the perspective of performance assessment, see McNamara, 1996, chap. 2).